A Place To Call Home
by AstringentSaccharine
Summary: AU Prequel to Noble Intentions: Natasha built a emotional wall around herself after the death of her brother & vowed to never let anyone in again, but after meeting Embry Call; becoming his imprint; and forming a friendship with Leah Clearwater, what happens next?
1. Introduction: Starting Over

**This is the Prequel to Noble Intentions before Leah met Brant, but Leah will be a big part of this story since Natasha and Leah become best friends.**

**(Picture Links Up)**

**Co-Written and Beta'd by IAmPhoenix**

**Introduction – Starting Over**

_Sometimes starting over is harder than starting from scratch,_

_because you'll still be faced with the terrible memories behind why_

_you must start anew in the first place. _

_~Author Unknown_

**Natasha's POV**

He was getting on my last nerve. How many times did I have to tell this idiot I wasn't interested and in how many ways? For the past fifteen minutes I had been trying to get rid of Jason Morison, he was in my Economics class. I had been trying the nice route but he really was pushing me over the edge. I was in the library, trying to finish my term paper and he was clearly making the shit impossible to accomplish.

"Come on Natasha, you're new here, I assure you, once we get to know one another better, you'll like me." It wasn't that Jason wasn't attractive, he was blonde, blue-eyed, and nice-looking. I just didn't have time for that sort of thing in my life, I didn't want to open myself that way to anybody.

"Look, Jeremy," I started to say.

"It's Jason." He corrected me.

"Whatever your name is, you're not my type." I tried to refocus my attention, Jason still wouldn't leave.

"I'm not your type?" He snorted in disbelief. Oh...I see. He's one of those guys. You know the guy, so shallow and absorbed with himself he finds it totally impossible for a woman to not find him attractive. "What are you? A lesbian?" See! It's shit like that these morons have the nerve to say.

"You're right, you guessed my secret. I LOVE WOMEN!" I said it slightly louder than expected, some students in the next table started laughing.

"You're not a lesbian, I mean look at you?" Look at me? Look at me? Are you fucking kidding me right now? Why is it that some men are under the idiotic notion that all gay women look butch?

"Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm a lipstick lesbian." Go away, damn it!

"I don't believe you." What was it going to take?

I heard someone sit down beside me.

"Hey babe I found the book you were looking for." The female responded, as she draped her arm around my shoulder. "Play along," She whispered in my ear. It was Leah, I really didn't know her too well except for the fact that we had Philosophy together. I read the title and instantly started cracking up. _Women Are From Venus, Men Are From Hell. _

"Thanks sweetie." I kissed her on the cheek and took the book out of her hands.

"Who are you?" Leah demanded glaring at a very stunned Jason.

"I'm...I was..." He said nothing else, he just walked away.

"Bye Jason, I'll see you in class." I said sarcastically sweet. As soon as he disappeared, Leah dropped her arm. Leah and I stared at one another for a few seconds and then started laughing. "Thanks."

"It's no problem, you're Natasha right?"

"Yeah and you're Leah." We shook hands. "We have Philosophy together."

"That's right!" I watched Leah's eyes focus in on my necklace. "Oh wow, this is beautiful and it's handmade, Navajo?"

I nodded yes. It was an original piece and one of kind. My pendant had four pieces of natural gaspeite, the necklace was designed in with three strands of gaspeite separated by sterling silver Navajo pearls and was approximately twenty-one inches long. The handmade cones finished the necklace off nicely. "How can you tell?"

"I just have an eye for things." She flipped my pendant. "Well, damn girl! La Rose Granadanegro? She's a highly praised Navajo artist, this must've cost a fortune!"

"I didn't buy it, it was gift." The last gift _he_ ever gave me. I tried to muster my bravest smile. Talking and thinking about _him _wasn't easy.

"Someone must have really loved you to buy something like this."

"They did." _He _was the only one who ever truly did. I took a deep breath and looked at my watch. "It's getting pretty late so,"

"Oh shit!" Leah stood up quickly. "They're probably wondering where the hell I am."

"They?" I questioned.

"My pac- friends. We all ride together here and back to the rez, saves on gas." She was Quileute! No wonder why my necklace caught her eye. All this time I thought she was Latina or something. "You live around here?"

"Yeah, just a few blocks away." Walking out into the parking lot, I noticed a small group of people. We were first approached by a pretty white girl with a heart-shaped face who appeared slightly embarrassed and little annoyed all in one.

"Where were you?" She asked Leah.

"Helping out a friend, Bella this is Natasha, Natasha this is Bella."

"Nice to meet you." She gave me a genuine smile. "Jake's at it again, he fell in love with someone's car, says he's not leaving until he finds out who owns it."

"Who's Jake? I guess he likes cars a lot." I shrugged not really seeing what the big deal was.

"When it comes to my boyfriend Jake and cars, _like_ isn't the word." She smirked.

"He's a mechanic, he does the best work and gets paid pretty well, but he loves what he does. It's like an obsession, drives us fucking nuts!" Leah groaned. "Come on, you have to see the shit for yourself."

******Embry's POV**

"Jake do we really have to do this...again? People are gonna start thinkin' you have issues man!" Quil, Bella, and I had been standing out in the parking lot for the past thirty minutes watching Jake drool over another car that caught his eye.

"You just don't get it!" Jake circled the car. "This is a 1969 Tuxedo Black Chevrolet Camaro Z28**. **It is_ virtually ____race ready__!"_

"Where the hell is Leah?" I don't think I could take him talking to another car owner for two hours.

"There she is!" Bella pointed. Thank god! "Who's that?" I glanced up for just a split second to notice Leah wasn't alone, but I didn't pay her new friend much attention, my goal was to get our Alpha into my truck before the car owner made it out to the parking lot. But I knew this was a lost cause.

"You know, there's this saying about men." Her voice was full of sass and humor.

"And what's that?" I smirked still trying to get Jake's attention.

"Men only live for three things in life and that's fast cars, fast food, and even faster women." I couldn't help but laugh. Two could play this game.

"Well you know what _they_ say about women." I retorted. "A woman only needs four animals in her life, a mink in her closet, a jaguar in her garage, a wolf in her bed, and," I finally looked up.

"And a jackass to pay for all of it!" She finished my sentence. "I always loved Marilyn Monroe, such a smart woman." The true definition of sexiness was staring back at me.

"Embry this is Natasha, Natasha this is my good friend Embry Call." Gravity moved. I just stood there drowning out Leah's ramblings. _Natasha, Natasha, Natasha_ my wolf kept chanting in my head, we finally found her. The guys weren't lying about imprinting. They said you literally fall apart and instantly come back together again, but completely now wrapped in this person, in this woman. I wanted her forever, I needed her in my life. I finally found my soul mate and there was no way I'd let her go.

Her skin tone was the perfect blend of mahogany and hazelnut, she had to be under 5'7, her legs were long and lean, she had beautiful slightly slanted brown eyes, and her lips...oh those lips, the things I could do to them.

"And you know what else _they_ say? You can always tell a lot about a person based on the cars they own." She reached down in her purse and pulled out a set of keys. "Hey Jake, is it?" She called my Alpha getting his attention. He finally looked up. "Catch!" She tossed him her keys. The Camaro was hers.

"If I wasn't with Bells, I think I'd be in love with you." I knew Jake was only joking but I couldn't hold back the obsessive growl that rumbled in my chest. Jake's eyes shifted towards me and he knew instantly what had taken place. Quil and Leah did too, but Bella was a little lost. "But, I have a feeling my boy Embry here, is a _perfect match_ for you." He said _perfect match_ with a lot of emphasis so Bella could get with the program.

"Oh!" She said out loud, a huge grin appeared across her face. Natasha gave Bella an inquisitive glance before looking back at me.

"So, Natasha where are you from and what brings you to Forks?" I was trying to get as much information out of my imprint as I could.

"Texas, Houston actually. And before any of you start asking me about cowboys and horseback riding, the only boots I own have a heel, and horses scare the shit outta me!" Every single one of us started laughing. "I'm just looking to start over."

"Why pick Forks?" Why would anyone pick such a gloomy place to start over?

"I'm going for the whole _Cheers _thing in reverse," _Cheers _was a comedy sitcom from the 80's, the show was set at Cheers bar (named for the toast "Cheers"), where a group of locals meet to drink, relax, and socialize. The show's theme song, lent its famous refrain, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name", as the show's tag-line. "Tried to find a place where _nobody _knows my name." I couldn't help but wonder why?

"Are you not looking to make friends?" This would really mess up my plans, if my soul mate didn't want to have a damn thing to do with me, she shook her head.

"It's not that, I just would like to have some _real_ _ones_ for a change." She responded. I started to probe further but Jake interrupted us.

"Hey Natasha, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your car is leaking oil." He was still standing next to Natasha's car.

"Damn it, not Carmen!" She groaned joining Jake.

"You named you car?" I had to say I was very impressed.

"The person who owned her before me did, he took extra good care of her, she's never even had a scratch before!" She knelt down to take a look for herself. "Shit!" I couldn't tell if she was more upset or angry. "Where do you think the leak is coming from?"

"Most likely at the valve cover gasket. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure until we find the leak. The best thing to do is first see if we can find the source by looking. Whatever the problem maybe I can fix it."

"Really Jake? I'll pay for whatever you need," You better not charge her Jake, I thought to myself.

"Are you kidding me?" He snorted. "Just getting the chance to work on _Ms. __Carmen _is payment enough. Follow us back to La Push, we'll get her as good as new."

"You know, you should have Leah and Embry drive back with you. Jake can drive Quil and I back, in Em's truck." Bells you're amazing! I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. I already knew she added Leah to the equation so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable riding with me alone.

"Are you sure?" She eyed both me first and then everyone else.

"If you'd like Tasha, it's no big deal." She looked a little shocked, and blinked her eyes quickly.

"Did you just call me Tasha?" Did she not like that?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't. It's fine in fact." She assured me. "I just haven't been called by that name in a long time." She looked down for a second as if she was thinking about something, she sighed. Looking back up, she gave me a magnificent smile. "Do you see how small my backseat is, it's almost non-existent. If you want to ride with me Embry, it's fine."

"Okay." I tried to stay as calm as I could, but deep down inside and I was over the moon about being alone with Natasha.

"Natasha, can I talk to you really quick?" Leah asked. I stood around for a bit, but noticed my pack sister give me a look that said: _Beat it_.

"I'll meet you by your car." It didn't matter, still would be able to hear them anyway.

"You know Natasha, there's plenty of room in your backseat, I could've managed." I heard Leah say. Natasha gave me a quick glance and then looked back at me.

"Oh shit!" She covered her mouth. "You like Embry, I had no idea...my bad,"

"Oh hell no!" Leah said a little too loud. "No way, never, he's like a brother to me...wait a minute," She started speaking much lower, but I could still hear her just fine. "Do you like him?"

"How could you not?" She gestured her hand towards me, I pretended like I wasn't paying them any attention. "He's down right sexy, he's tall and slender, he has the cutest dimple in his chin. He's really sweet and he has the kindest eyes..."

"Well," Leah smiled. "I am most certain that he likes you too."

"That's good to know." Tasha smirked and headed to her car. We both got in.

"What was that about?" I already knew, I just wanted to hear some more of that spunk come out of her sexy mouth.

"You just keep being the gentleman you are and you'll find out soon enough." She winked at me. "Besides, haven't you heard what the famous Lana Turner once said?" I had no clue who the hell Lana Turner was. I shook my head no. "_A gentleman is simply a patient wolf_." Oh yeah, Ms. Natasha Washington (hopefully one day Natasha Washington Call) was going to fit right in.

**A/N: Review, follow, and to your favorites!**


	2. Chapter 1: How Do I Say?

******Co-Written by IAmPhoenix**

**This chapter was Beta'd by Callie8M along with ****Roses Roses And More Roses****!**

**I would like to thank the following for adding my story to their favorites and alerts: **

Cyr1988; Elliebellabear; hlbbr; jmarceljm; missminniemosue1996; OMG no way911; shyliek1999; Stormswift; NaeNae1495; gdselby; and whatsnotbeentaken

**To My Lovely Reviewers!**

**OMG no way911 :** Thanks so much!

**Brankel1:** Question…do you think I should take this all the way through Noble Intentions from Embry and Natasha's perspective?

**Guest:** Here's more!

**NaeNae1495: **I have to admit Natasha is one of my favorite characters created by myself, her story has so many layers, you will soon find out…

**Chapter 1 – How Do I Say?**

_How do I say hello?  
I just wanna talk to you  
How do I say you're beautiful  
When I can't take my eyes off you?  
I don't wanna say the wrong thing  
I wanna use the right words to impress you  
My baby, how do I say, how do I say?_

How do I say? - Usher

**Embry POV**

I was in trouble, and the worst kind. Maybe this was a bad idea. I should have asked Leah to ride with us. My brain officially shut down and I didn't know what the hell to say anymore. While trying to find my words, I found myself scanning the interior of Natasha's car, from the black deluxe bucket seats to the rosewood trim on the dash and center console. I fixated my stare on the 'Camaro' instrument emblem located above the glove box door on the molding attached to the dash panel.

"You know," Natasha's voice pulled me out of my mental block, "You're pretty lucky I don't mistake a man's shyness for coldness." Well, thank the great spirits for her intuitiveness!

"I'm sorry, it's just…I have a tendency to over analyze things in my head before speaking."

"Never over analyze anything when it comes to a person like me. I'm not some delusional girl set out to find Prince Charming. I _know _he doesn't exist." She shifted her eyes a little.

"Is that right?" I folded my arms across my chest.

"Oh yeah, but with that being said, I am the type of woman who is waiting on a great guy who thinks I'm their Princess." That I can do. "Just say whatever you want; ask me anything. Nothing is off limits." She turned on her right blinker. "First thing that comes into your head."

"What's the riskiest thing you ever done?"

Natasha immediately started giggling.

"Invite a total stranger into my car..._alone_; just because I thought he was cute." She kept laughing.

"Oh, really? How did that work out for you?"

"So far, so good." Her smile was reeling me in. "Besides, I have pepper spray and a stun gun in my purse just in case you try to go Ted Bundy on my ass!" The rest of our conversation was easy flowing from then on out. "I do need to make a stop at the convenience store if you don't mind."

"Not at all, there's actually one up here to your left before we enter La Push. Anything in particular you're looking for?"

Entering the store, we passed the canned fruits and vegetables stacked on the first shelf. Natasha made a bee-line straight for the candy aisle.

"There is something you must know about me." She had a very stern look on her face. "I am an addict."

What the heck? She reached down and grabbed three king size Hershey bars. "I am a chocoholic." I shook my head and smirked; I then gave her a serious expression of my own and placed my hands on both of her shoulders.

"I'm very proud of you Natasha; the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem." Our laughter was short lived as Natasha focused on a woman and a small child. At first I thought they were Quileute, but as I heard the little boy start speaking, my assumption was wrong. He was holding what looked like a piece of candy in his little hands.

"Mamá, ¿puedo tener esto?" The mother affectionately ran her hand through his hair and shook her head.

"Lo siento mi hijo. No tengo suficiente dinero." I failed Spanish last semester, but I knew what _dinero _meant, and since the little boy sighed and dropped his head, her answer must have been no. I was all too familiar with this scene. While my mom was still in nursing school we had to pinch our pennies. Bare necessities were what I got and luxuries like a simple candy bar was few and far between. It wasn't until my sixth grade year when things got better. My mom started working as an RN with Sue Clearwater at the hospital in Forks. I remember her coming home with a bag full of candy bars that night. It was a stomach ache well deserved.

"Could you give me second?" Natasha handed me her Hershey's bar. She picked up four more and walked up to the register where the woman and child were standing. She pulled out her wallet and starting taking out some money. She reached over and gently touched the young woman's hand.

"Déjame pagar por todo." Natasha knew Spanish and she sounded fluent.

"No puedo aceptar tu dinero!" The woman was shocked.

"Por favor." Natasha urged handing her the money.

I watched the tears well up in the woman's eyes. "Le doy las gracias por su amabilidad." Natasha simply smiled and bent down to be eye level with the little boy.

"¿Cómo te llamas, guapo?" The little boy first edged a little closer to his mother; she gave her son a smile and nudged him toward Natasha.

"Hector." He whispered.

"Mi nombre es Natasha. Es un placer conocerte." She held up the chocolate. "¿Te gustaría tener esto?" He nodded quickly and she handed him the candy bars.

"Gracias, Natasha." The little boy reached out and hugged my imprint.

"Muchas gracias por su ayuda." The mother added.

"No fue nada. Estoy muy contenta de que podría ayudar a los dos." Natasha responded**, **standing up. She squeezed the woman's hand once more. By the time Natasha made it back to me, the little boy and his young mother paid for their things and left.

"Wow! That was...what you did..."

"It was no big deal." She shrugged as she made an attempt to pay for her things. Not on my watch.

"Put your money away Tasha, I'm paying."

**Natasha POV**

I decided I'd do what _he _would've done. _He _never wanted anyone to go without. _His _heart was just that big. So I took a page from _his _book of kindness and did what _he _would have done.

"Where did you learn how to speak Spanish like that?" Embry asked once we were back in my car.

"My mom. She's Afro-Panamanian. Afro-Panamanians are just Panamanians of African descent by the way. My mother grew up in the Colón area of Panama City. Her family came to the states when she was about twelve. She met my dad in college; he was born and raised in Texas. They've been together ever since." It was the only lesson of value I ever truly learned from my mom that actually helped me in everyday life.

"Ever watch _The Fresh Prince of Bel Air_?"

"Who hasn't?" Embry chuckled. Before Will Smith was a cop taking out bad guys in _Bad Boys_ or a kick ass pilot killing aliens in _Independence Day, _he portrayed a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who was sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their wealthy Bel Air mansion, where his lifestyle often clashes with that of his relatives. "Why do you ask?"

"Well do you remember the youngest daughter on the show?"

"Ashley Banks?" Embry grinned. "Oh yeah! I used to have a huge crush on her growing up."

"Well her real name is Tatyana Ali, she's Afro-Panamanian."

"I had no idea."

"Not a lot of people do." We drove the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. Pulling up to Jake's garage I was a little surprised to see several new faces staring back me.

"Is there something in the water here? All of you guys are huge."

"What can I say? It's genetics." Embry shrugged.

"Where have you guys been?" Leah had a smug grin on her face.

"Quil and Jake thought you guys ran off to Vegas and eloped or something." Bella teased.

"Nah," I shook my head. "Vegas isn't my style. New Orleans, now that sounds like a pretty happening place to get hitched. Right during Mardi Gras!" Everyone laughed. Embry went around introducing me to the rest of his friends. I met Sam first, he wasn't paying much attention to me or anyone else for that matter, he was too busy checkin' out Leah who was leaning over the hood of my car while Jake was explaining something to her about oil leaks and how to properly locate them. Jared seemed really sweet, Paul had to be the rez bad boy it was all in his attitude, but still I liked him just the same. Brady and Collin sort of took me by surprise; they were a little younger than the others, and seemed to be undressing me with their eyes. Puberty...I don't miss it. Seth had to be my second favorite out of the guys, he was Leah's brother. He had the brightest smile I'd ever seen. He also could have passed as Jake's little brother. For a few minutes Sam, Jake, and Embry left to talk about something in private, and when Embry got back he was slightly annoyed by the fact that I was sandwiched between Brady and Collin.

"Get up!" He snarled trembling from head to toe.

"Hey**,** don't get mad at us," Brady defended himself while standing up. "It was Quil's idea, he wanted to see how pissed you'd get."

"Payback's a bitch!" Quil chuckled. "I haven't forgotten about that stunt you pulled with Claire."

"Who's Claire?" I shifted my eyes from Quil and then back at Collin.

"Quil's best friend, she goes to school with us." Collin replied.

"Why does it matter if these guys like your best friend?" I was a little confused.

"We'll explain that later." Embry pulled me to my feet.

"Hey Natasha, I had to order a new valve for Carmen, we won't get it until tomorrow." Jacob was cleaning his hands off with a rag.

"You can crash at my place tonight." Leah smiled. "We'll drive in the morning together. Is that cool?"

"That's fine." I was actually pretty happy. It meant I could spend more time with Embry. "I'm going to need something to wear."

"I can let you borrow some of my mom's clothes, you and her are about the same height." It was a nice offer, but I wasn't too sure about wearing an older woman's clothes.

"Don't worry, my mom has a very _chic_ style." He opened the passenger door for me to his truck. "She had me when she was seventeen; we sort of grew up together. We were going through a rough patch a couple of years ago, but things got better for us again." He sighed. "Now that there are no secrets."

No secrets...what does that mean? I had a few of my own and for that reason I didn't press him.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

**Embry's POV**

"This is where I live." We pulled into my driveway.

"Can I ask you a question?" Natasha and I got out of my truck. "What's up with Leah and Sam? He kept looking at her with this weird expression on his face. I could've sworn he wanted to smack the shit out of Jake for being so close to her, kind of how you wanted to hurt Collin and Brady."

"You noticed that huh?" Damn it. "It's a long story, Sam and Leah were high school sweethearts but they're not anymore. Leah can explain further in detail to you, it's not really my place."

"Fair enough."

I unlocked the front door and led Natasha to the living room.

"Embry**,** is that you?" It was my mom, she was in her bedroom.

"Yeah mom! Wait here?" Natasha sat down on the sofa. I walked into my mom's bedroom.

"How was your first day, college boy?" There was so much pride in my mom's voice as she gave me a hug.

"It was great." Better than I thought it could ever be. "Something happened today, something big."

"Really?" I shut the door behind me and lowered my voice to a whisper.

"Do you remember when I told you about imprinting?" Things had gotten pretty rough at home after I started phasing and hanging with Sam and Jake. My mom accused me of doing drugs and hanging with a gang. She almost threw me out. The Elders finally let my mom in on what truly was going on, and in turn she revealed a secret of her own. Joshua Uley was my father, which made Sam and I half brothers. I took the news pretty hard, but felt relieved to finally know who I was and where I came from.

"Yes, soul mates right?" I couldn't help but just smile. My mom blinked a few times, then she gasped and covered her mouth. "That's great!" She exclaimed hugging me. "When do I get to meet my future-daughter-in-law?" She was practically jumping up and down.

"She's in the living room, she has an oil leak and Jake won't be able to fix it until tomorrow, so she's staying in La Push tonight at Leah's place."

"She's in our living room?" I nodded, my mom looked panic stricken. "I look terrible! This is a horrible first impression; I just got through working a 16 hour shift at the hospital." She quickly walked over to her mirror and started running her fingers frantically through her hair.

"You look fine mom." I thought about how my mom would react to Natasha, mainly her nationality. She noticed my expression change in the reflection of her mirror and stopped for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

"Natasha isn't Quileute or from Makah. She isn't Native American at all. She's..." My mother turned to face.

"Your perfect match." She grinned. "I agree with Jacob's father. I don't think it's about who has the best chance of carrying on the shifter gene. I believe it's all about finding the perfect match for not just your wolf, but your human counterpart as well. If that were the case**,** Sam would have imprinted on Leah, not Emily, and you yourself would have never shifted being only part Quileute. I believe it's all about compatibility and fate. I wish everyone in the world could imprint. Divorce would be nonexistent." I smirked. My mom was an amazing woman. She made some bad choices in her past, but she learned from them. "I don't care what she is; I care about who she is to you. She could be an alien from outer space for all I care, all that matters is you found her." There wasn't much else that needed to be said. I gave my mom another hug.

"Do you mind if she borrows an outfit? You guys are almost the same size."

"You really did imprint on the perfect woman!"

**Natasha POV**

I scanned Embry's living room. It was neat and very organized. I could tell they put a lot of love in there cozy domain. The windowed areas were painted with mountains and sashes of vibrant yellow, rather than a run-of-the-mill white. The walls were coated with a matching hue of amber. I took a seat on the rattan sofa. The nature-themed pillows on the couch enhanced the living room's casual setting. I noticed several pictures of Embry in different stages of his life. His mother was a very beautiful woman and I could see such love and happiness in her eyes. She appeared really hands on. There were pictures of her teaching him how to ride his bike without the training wheels, baking cookies in their kitchen, and several photographs of them together at the beach.

"Natasha." Embry was standing with his mom. I quickly stood up.

"This is my mother Tiffany Call. Mom this is Natasha Washington."

"Mrs. Call." I extended my hand out to her. "It's nice to meet you." Instead of shaking my hand she gave me a hug. It threw me off a little. I wasn't used to public displays of affection between parents. My mother only hugged me when I helped _him. _I finally relaxed and hugged her back.

"Please**,** call me Tiffany. You didn't tell me how beautiful Natasha was, Embry." And here I was dreading she'd have a problem with me not being Native American.

"Thank you so much**.** I see where Embry gets his good looks."

"I'm sure your parents say the same thing." They don't. They didn't. "Come on, let's go raid my closet and find you something to wear." Tiffany took me by the hand and led me to her room. Embry followed. "So where are you staying**,** Natasha?"

"Um..." Whenever I divulged where I was staying it caught people off guard. "Forks Estates."

"Fork Estates." Both Embry and Tiffany's repeated. "Those are really expensive apartments. The single doctors I work with live there."

"How does a college student afford something like that?" Explaining how I could afford living in such a place meant I'd have to talk about _him _which was something I wasn't ready to do.

"You work at the hospital?" I awkwardly changed the subject.

"Yes, I'm an RN; I work in the oncology department."

Cancer...chemo...radiation...staying overnight in hospitals...needles, _him_. My heart started pounding and I could feel my knees weaken. _Don't breakdown__**, **__Natasha! Not in front of them!_

"Are you alright?" Embry stood in front of me, concern written on his face.

"Yes...I'm a little out of it. I haven't really eaten today." I breathed in deeply and then let it back out.

"Tell you what; I'll pick out something for you, while Embry makes you something to eat."

"Thanks Ms. Call—I mean Tiffany." I corrected myself with a smile.

"It's no problem."

**Embry POV**

After we sat down and ate, Leah called; we were having a bonfire, the other _wolf girls_ wanted to meet Natasha.

"If you're still feeling a little tired, we don't have to go."

"I'm fine; it's going to take a lot more than _hunger pains _to knock me on my ass." The smile on Natasha's face didn't match the expression in her eyes. They seemed...nostalgic. Did my mom trigger something that was way too painful to re-live? A part of me wanted to know, another part of me didn't want to pry. Whatever it was, she didn't want to talk to me about it.

"Natasha!" Leah waved in the distance, everyone was here. Including Brady's girlfriend Darla, she wasn't an imprint; it was obvious her feelings were stronger than that of Brady's. Opposites do attract, but Brady and Darla were on the opposing side to that slogan, they got into arguments about the smallest things, and it was tough on us all. Maybe that's why Emily and Darla got along so well, they were both extremely possesive of Brady and Sam.

Leah met us halfway. "Seems like whenever you two run off, it takes a while to come back."

"Claire, Rach, and Kim want to meet you."

Natasha noticed Emily and Darla off in the distance on their own. "But, there are five girls here."

"You can meet Darla and Emily if you want, but I'm not going near them." Leah scoffed, "I wouldn't touch Emily if I was you, you could catch something." Natasha looked slightly taken aback by Leah's words, my imprint was still in the dark about the whole Sam, Leah, and Emily cheating scandal. I'm sure she couldn't quite grasp why she felt such contempt for her, she would find out soon enough. "Come on."

I flopped down next to Jake and Bella as I watched Natasha and Leah interact with Claire, Kim, and Rach.

"So what did your mom say about Natasha?" Jake asked handing me a soda.

"Before or after she nearly tackled her with a hug and then let her borrow half her wardrobe?" Jake and Bella started laughing.

"What's wrong?" Bella could always tell if something was bothering any of us, she was just that in tune with our pack.

"I feel like she's hiding something from me."

"She's _hiding _something from _you_?" Jake started laughing. "Did you forget you have some _pretty serious secrets _yourself?"

"I know." I picked up some sand and let the dry soil slide through my fingers. "I think she's in _trouble_. Or maybe she did something bad."

"What makes you think that?" Bella looked over briefly at Natasha and Leah.

"Well for starters, she lives in Forks Estates."

"The luxury condos?" I gave Jake a quick nod before continuing to speak.

"And then when my mom told Tasha she was a nurse, she had a mini breakdown. I could hear her heart nearly start hammering out of her chest, she looked as though she was going to faint. Scared the shit outta me."

"So what do you think she's hiding?"

"I'm not sure, but I intend on finding out."

**A/N: Alrightie guys, do you think I should take A Place to Call Home all the way through to Noble Intentions from Embry and Natasha's POV or end it where Leah meets Brant? **


	3. Chapter 2: Beneath Your Beautiful

_**Co-Written by IAmPhoenix**_

**Beta'd by the awesome Callie8M and the amazing Sparkling-Iris, you two made my work ten times better!**

**To my lovely reviewers: **OMG no way911**;** brankel1**; and **NaeNae1495 it looks like this story is going to be twice as long as Noble Intentions, the keying incident will be in the next chapter!

**_A special thanks for the following readers who added me to their favorites and alerts: _**_the most fun_**_ and _**_IAmPhoenix_

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

_**Chapter Two: Beneath Your Beautiful**_

_You tell all the boys no. Makes you feel good, yeah._

_I know you're out of my league, but that won't scare me away, oh no._

_You've carried on so long you couldn't stop if you tried it._

_You've built your wall so high that no one could climb it._

_But I'm gonna try._

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful?_

_Would you let me see beneath your perfect?_

_Take it off now girl, take it off now girl._

_I wanna see inside._

_Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?_

**_Beneath Your Beautiful - Labrinth feat Emelie Sande_**

**Natasha's POV**

I stood there, only half listening to Rachel, Leah, Claire and Kim as they chatted amiably with each other. But my mind was still on _him. _I missed _him _so much. Just those few seconds of talking with Embry's mom had taken me back to a place where I didn't want to be. A dark place full of sadness and sorrow that had taken me years to climb from. I wasn't ready to go back there. Not now, not ever. But as I stood on the most beautiful beach I'd ever seen, surrounded by some of the most gorgeous people I'd ever laid eyes on, I could still feel the cold claws of the depression dragging me back to the depths of my emotional Hell.

"Natasha..." Leah waved her hand in front of my face, pulling me back to the land of the living and momentarily out of my mental isolation.

I looked up at her, blinking rapidly, trying to fight back the tears that stung at my eyes. "Oh, sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts." I shook my head. "What were you saying?"

"I asked what time your first class starts." She laughed. "We normally leave pretty early since some of us have eight o'clock classes."

"My first class is at ten, but whatever time you guys leave is fine with me. Not like I have any other options." I hope I hadn't come across as rude or bitchy when I said that. I was really grateful to all of them. Jake didn't have to offer to fix my car, Leah surely didn't have to offer me a place to stay for the night, and Embry's mom had been more than generous with letting me borrow her clothes. It was just that whenever I thought about _him, _it always pushed me out of my element. I cleared my throat. "Thanks for letting me stay with you tonight Leah. I really appreciate it girl."

"No problem." Leah smiled. "That's what friends are for."

Friends. I wouldn't know what they were good for seeing as I never had many real ones. Everybody in my life always just took from me so all I'd ever known was the one-sidedness of friendships. Except for _him. _

As the girls carried on their conversation, my eyes drifted off to where Embry was sitting with Bella and Jake. He was watching me, yet for some reason he looked worried. "I'll be right back." I said, walking towards him.

"Having fun?" He asked as I approached. He moved over on the log he was currently sitting on to make room for me, but I stayed standing.

I held out my hand. "Walk with me?" He stared at it for a split second before a huge smile spread across his face and he stood up to take it.

I wanted to walk towards the forest; the trees looked so beautiful under the glow of the moonlight, but he was strangely hesitant. His breathing quickened and his palms got sweaty like he was scared of something or someone out there. As big as he was he surely wouldn't be scared of anything. Would he? Instead, he led me in the opposite direction towards a large cliff overlooking the ocean.

"A penny for your thoughts?" He asked, finally breaking the silence. We had been walking for nearly ten minutes and neither of us had said a single word.

"I'm just in awe at how beautiful it is here. I never imagined a place so magical and enchanting in rainy Washington." I stopped for a brief moment to pull off my shoes. I giggled as the gritty sand seeped between my toes. This was the first time I'd ever experienced that sensation. "This feels weird."

"What does?"

"The sand between my toes." I dug my toes as deep into the sand as they would go before it became uncomfortable. "I've always wondered how it would feel." I said in almost a whisper.

Embry looked down at me with confusion etched into his features. "You've never felt the sand between your toes?" I didn't think he'd heard me.

I shook my head. "There's a lot of things I've never done before." There was a lot I wasn't allowed to do. "I lived a very sheltered life which is why I was so eager for a new start." What I wanted to say was that I lived a life that wasn't my own, one that I had no control over, but I didn't. For some reason I felt very comfortable around Embry, and I wasn't sure whether I wanted to let him that deep into my heart and life. Not yet at least.

Embry laughed good-naturedly, not noticing my well-hidden discomfort. "Come on Tasha. _Everybody _has been to a beach at least _once_ in their life."

"Not me." When your life wasn't your own, there was a lot that you wouldn't get to do or experience.

"That's umm...well, that's...interesting?" Embry muttered as he stared out at the water. I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't reply. Nearly a minute passed before he spoke again. "What else haven't you had a chance to do?"

"Like I said: I lived a very sheltered life. You name it and I've probably never done it." I shrugged. "Sleepovers, learning to ride a bike, going to an amusement park. I'd never even been on a plane until I came to Forks."

Embry looked at me incredulously for a few seconds before he spoke. "You missed everything that made childhood so fun and memorable. I'm pretty sure that might classify as some form of child abuse. Who would do that to their kid?"

"They had their reasons." _They _being my parents.

"No reason is good enough. That's just insane."

I simply shrugged. I didn't want to talk about this anymore. I knew if we did, the conversation would inevitably head in a direction that I didn't want to go, but Embry just wouldn't let it drop.

"What kind of parents would deprive their child of all the things that makes being a kid so fun? That really makes no sense to me. I see why you wanted a fresh start. I would've left those psychos too."

That did it. My parents were a lot of things, selfish...hell yeah, cold...definitely, desperate...without a doubt, but of all the things I could think to call them, psychotic wasn't one. "They weren't psychos!" I snapped, practically screaming at him.

Instantly, I could feel the tears flooding my eyes but I blinked them back, refusing to let a single tear fall. "They had a reason for everything they said and did. I may not have liked it but I understand, and just because you don't, doesn't give you the damn right to call my parents names!" He opened his mouth to say something, maybe in his defense, maybe an apology, but I held up my hand to keep him quiet. "Save it. We're done here." I retorted, before walking off towards Leah.

It was hard to hold the tears back now and I knew if I didn't get away soon they would spill from my eyes. No one would be getting the pleasure of seeing me cry ever again.

**Embry's POV**

Good job Embry. You managed to piss her off in the first twenty-four hours. The pack was always telling me that I needed to think before I speak, that my bluntness would come back to bite me in the ass one day, but did I listen? No. I really should've. Because now I was stuck here watching helplessly as Natasha stormed back towards Leah and the rest of the girls.

If looks could kill, the one Leah was giving me would surely grant me an early demise. I raised my hands in surrender because she was the one person that could help me fix things between Tasha and myself. I needed her now more than ever.

"What did you do?" Leah snarled after she returned from taking Natasha to her house.

I lowered my head, I couldn't even bear to look her in the eyes. "I called her parents psychos."

"You did _what_!? Are you out of your damn mind Embry?"

"Wait-let me explain." I looked up at Leah. Her face had turned slightly red and she was trembling. I took a step back. "Look, she's never been to a beach, never had a sleepover, never even been on a plane until she came to Forks…That's crazy. Who does that to their kid?"

Leah's face twisted into a mask of confusion. "What?"

"Exactly." I said, relaxing a little bit. "I guess they kept her locked in a dungeon or something. My words were a bit out of line, but it doesn't change the fact that they're insane. You gotta help me fix this."

"You're on your own with this one lover boy. I've told you about your mouth one too many times." Leah shook her head. "She's pissed and I don't want to get mixed up in this."

I sighed. I had to do something to make this right. She was the woman that I was destined to spend the rest of my life with, and it would be kind of hard to do that if she never wanted to talk to me again. A million thoughts popped into my head about what I could say or do to fix it. Staring at the raging bonfire gave me the perfect idea. Without hesitation, I raced home.

"Mom!" I yelled, searching through the cabinets. I could never find anything in this house. "Mom!"

"Stop screaming child. You'll wake the dead." My mom replied irritably, walking into the kitchen. Her eyes widened when she saw the mess I'd made. "What the hell Embry?"

"Do we still have that chocolate pot thing?" I ignored her comments and went straight to the point.

"It's on top of the fridge." A smile spread across her face. "Special night with Natasha?"

I shook my head. "I kinda upset her so now I have to fix things." I pulled a bag of marshmallows from the cabinet and tossed it on the table. "What else goes well with chocolate?"

My mom laughed. "Have a seat, son." She instantly got to work as she opened the pantry and pulled out a picnic basket. She placed it on the table then proceeded to put the marshmallows and chocolate pot inside. Next she opened the fridge and took out a container of strawberries, three apples and a pineapple. She grabbed a few bananas from the counter. I watched as she carefully cut up the fruit and placed the pieces in a bowl. My mom was amazing in so many ways. She placed the container of fruit into the picnic basket with a huge bag of Hershey's Kisses, napkins, some candles and a lighter.

"That should do it." She gently cupped my face then kissed my forehead.

I pulled her into a hug. "Thanks mom. You're the best."

I grabbed a blanket on my way out and ran full speed to Leah's. I hoped I didn't smell. I did a quick pit check; I was still good. It didn't take me long to get to Leah's house and soon I was softly knocking on the door. My heart slammed against my chest as I waited for an answer, suddenly feeling nervous. What if she didn't want to see me? What if this didn't work? And why didn't I just keep my big mouth shut in the first place?

"What do you want?" Leah asked as soon as she flung the door open.

I held up the picnic basket. "I came to make things right with Natasha. I just need you to get her out on the patio in like, ten minutes."

Leah folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. "What's in it for me?"

"I'll run your patrol for the next two days." She was scheduled to run with Sam so I knew she'd be more than willing to accept my offer.

She thought for a moment. "Deal."

"Thanks!" Saying that, I walked around to the back of the house to get things set up. I spread the blanket on the grass, just beneath the patio stairs then I placed the candles on the second to last step, making sure I left enough room for Natasha to walk down them. I searched the base of the patio for the electrical outlet then plugged in the chocolate pot and filled it almost to the top with Hershey's Kisses. I opened the containers of fruit and placed them around the pot. Lastly, I stirred the melting chocolate then waited.

**Natasha's POV**

When Leah came in and told me that Embry was outside waiting for me, I was slightly irritated. There was nothing that turned me off faster than a pushy man. After some urging from Leah, I reluctantly decided to see what he wanted. But when I stepped on the patio, all my anger promptly melted away. Embry was standing near the door holding a single white rose in his hand.

"I'm so sorry." He said, extending the flower towards me. I gladly took it from his hand and sniffed it.

"Chocolate?" My eyes lit up.

"No, it's a rose actually," He laughed, "but, I do have chocolate, too."  
"Smart ass." I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

"Look Tasha, I know there are a lot of things you don't want to tell me about yourself, but I'm hoping that someday you will. I just...I just want to know what you've been hiding beneath all that beautiful." What kind of guy says things like this? He extended his hand towards me, and I was hesitant at first. Who was this guy? How was he capable of bringing on a slew of emotions I hadn't felt before? Romance...that wasn't something I was fluent in, but this magical pull towards Embry was different. I'd never been in love before, but common sense told me it just didn't happen this quickly. We just met and somehow I already wanted to mean the world to him.

I took a deep breath and then took his hand as he led me down the steps. I finally saw what he had created for me in such a short amount of time; I couldn't believe it. "Guys don't do this for real, do they?" I looked up at Embry who was smiling back at me.

"I think a guy would pretty much do anything he could to make a woman happy, if she's worth it." He replied honestly.

"I just thought this," I waved my hand towards the romantic set up, "only happened in sappy movies. I used to think it was sort of cheesy, but now," I looked back at Embry. "I think it's pretty great."

"It only gets better from here." Embry said with a wink.

"Better than chocolate?" I laughed. "I can't wait to see that."

We took our seats on the blanket and while I stuffed my face with chocolate covered fruit, Embry pointed out the different constellations. He even told me the Greek mythology story of Corona Borealis, also known as the Northern Crown. Smart and handsome.

He might just get to see beneath my beautiful after all.

**A/N: A million times thank you for reading. Review, favorite, and add to your alerts. **


	4. Chapter 3: You Got A Friend In Me

**_Co-Written by IAmPhoenix_**

Beta'd by the awesome **Callie8M** and the amazing **Sparkling-Iris**, you two made my work ten times better!

To my lovely reviewer(s): Thank you Brankel1

_**A special thanks for the following readers who added me to their favorites and alerts: **_Pale Sun03; Erint1987; AttitudeDragon; kalbe; Blood-in-Poison; and brigadoonlove

**Chapter 3: You Got a Friend In Me**

A_ friend is someone who will bail you out of jail. A best friend is the one sitting next to you saying "boy was that fun." _

_The Maugles_

**Natasha POV**

It had been a week since I met Embry, and somehow he managed to get me to spend every night in La Push with him, but I would sleep at Leah's to be respectful of his mother's house, although she never seemed bothered by my presence. For the first couple of days Embry would pry, trying to get me to open up about my past, but I always managed to change the subject. After vowing that whatever it was I was hiding from him wasn't illegal, he stopped pressing the subject.

There were certain things I, myself, started noticing about my newfound friends. For starters; although Jake and his friends referred to themselves as one group, there seemed to be a bit of a division. Embry, Quil, Jacob, Leah, Claire, and Seth hung out more exclusively, whereas Sam, Paul, Jared, Brady, Collin, Kim, Emily, Rachel, and Darla spent more time together. I did notice that Rachel and Paul would float back and forth between both sects, but I simply chalked it up to the fact that Rachel and Jacob were siblings, like Leah and Seth.

Now it was Friday; girls night out. Leah, Rachel, Bella and I decided to stop by a local bar. Unfortunately Claire was only sixteen and couldn't join us, but Quil was more than happy to keep her company at Leah's place until we made it back.

I was honestly starting to think there were something romantic going on between the two of them, but I could never find any validation for my suspicions. Quil always treated Claire like she was nothing more than a best friend, still I found it a little strange to see a college guy so attached to a sophomore in high school. After all, she was more Seth, Brady and Collin's age, so why wasn't she spending time with them instead? Whenever I would ask Embry or Leah, they would simply tell me it was complicated and that one day I would understand.

"Leah, I really love your new haircut!" Bella gushed as we found a table.

"Yeah," Rachel added, "it looks really great."

"Thanks, I just needed a change," Leah sat beside me.

"Where did you get it done?" Bella asked. "It didn't look like that this morning." Leah's hair had been cut in sassy, messy layers with a texturized bob and long bangs that evoked a sexy, bedhead feel.

"In her kitchen." I grinned, winking at Leah.

"Where did you learn how to do hair like that?" Rachel asked in an impressed tone.

Well Rachel, when you spend so much time indoors, you tend to live in magazines.

"What can I say, comes naturally I guess." I replied, instead of saying my thoughts.

"You should open a shop." Leah nudged me playfully.

I raised my eyebrows, "Seriously?" My parents would have a heart attack. Being a lawyer or doctor was a more stable career. Privately owned businesses had a 90% chance of failing within the first five years.

"Yeah Tasha, I'm actually thinking about going to beauty school myself." Rachel patted her hands excitedly on the table. "We could go together!"

I looked over at Leah and grinned. "What about Leah? You want to go to beauty school too?" I teased.

"Hell no!" She groaned. "Unless you guys want a lawsuit on your hands." We all laughed.

"You know Leah," Bella interjected. "You could always get your business degree as planned and handle the business aspect for the shop."

"That's true." Leah acknowledged.

"Wait a minute." I smirked with disbelief. "Are we serious here? Going into business together?" I looked around and Rachel nodded. "Look, I know you all have known each other for years, but we've only known one another for like, _five minutes_..."

"It's been a week." Leah corrected me. "And besides, I have a feeling you'll be around for a long time Tasha, if Embry has anything to say about that."

"Whatever." I scoffed, rolling me eyes. Was what was going on between Embry and me that obvious?

"Oh come on, you know you got it bad!" Rachel chided.

"I'll admit I really do like him." I confessed.

"Well duh!" They all chanted.

I rolled my eyes again and continued talking. "It's kind of hard to explain."

"Why don't you try?" Bella challenged with a smile.

I groaned softly, "Can we please talk about something else?" Expressing my feelings wasn't an easy task. After I lost _him, _I shut down that part of myself, the loving, caring, adoring side. But somehow Embry brought that part of me back to life, and in so little time, as much as I liked feeling those emotions again, they also scared the hell outta me.

"What could possibly be more interesting than talking about the fact that you have the hot's for Embry?"Rachel waved her hand in the air to get the waiter's attention, who came to take our orders after being beckoned over.

"What can I get you ladies?" The waiter asked.

"Two shots of tequila, and two sodas." Leah ordered. Bella and I weren't old enough to drink, but Rachel and Leah were.

"Coming right up." We watched the waiter depart without even checking our ids. I finally came up with the perfect way to change the subject. Not only did it stop anyone from asking me about Embry, but this same question could help to explain the weird tension between Sam and Leah.

"Leah?" She looked at me. "Mind telling me what the hell is up between you, Emily, and Sam?"

"Ah fuck." She grimaced, dropping her head on the table. "Can I just go one night without talkin' about the mayor of Skanksville?"

"You might as well tell her, Leah, before Emily tries to win her over like she did with Kim and Darla." Rachel suggested helpfully.

"Darla doesn't count." Bella blurted out. What the hell did that mean? Rachel pinched Bella's arm. "Ow!" She yelped. "I mean...Brady and her won't last much longer, she's way too jealous."

"Yeah," Leah spoke up. "And Brady's mom can't stand her either way." I had a strange feeling that this wasn't the true reason behind why Darla and Brady's relationship would end in demise. When it came to Claire, Rachel, Kim, Leah, Bella and even Emily, I felt this weird connection like we all belonged, with Darla something seemed amiss.

"Just tell me about Emily." I repeated to Leah as the waiter returned with our drinks, putting them in front of us. Leah took her shot with one gulp without hesitation.

"Keep 'em coming." She told the waiter, then turning back to the rest of us, picking up the conversation again. "I'll give you the condensed version. Emily is my second cousin and Sam is my ex fiancée. I found out they were sleeping together _before_ we broke off our engagement." My mouth dropped open.

"She violated lesson number one of the girl code handbook!" I finally yelled, shaking my head in shock.

"Girl code handbook?" Bella repeated, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.

"Yeah. Girl Code Lesson Number One: _Thou shalt not sleep with your best friend's boyfriend._ I don't give a damn if your best friend's man is Usher or Justin Timberlake, he is off limits!" I took a deep breath. Bella still looked mildly confused.

"I guess she never read that book." Leah continued. "And anyway, looking back, I just knew something wasn't right between them, she was way too flirtatious when it came to Sam, but I turned a blind eye, every time. I feel like such a dumbass." Just then, the waiter returned with more shots.

"You're not a dumbass because you thought you could trust your own flesh and blood, Leah."

"I guess you're right Tasha. It's just he meant everything to me, both of them violated my trust." Suddenly Leah's body began to tremble, her face focused on the bar the entrance. I followed her gaze, Sam was standing in the doorway. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Leah's ex made his way over to us.

"Hey there Lee Lee, your hair looks great." He reached over to run his hands through the strands, but she smacked it away and brusquely stood up.

"I am sick and tired of you following me everywhere I go. You didn't own me when we were together, and you sure as hell have no right to stake your claim now!" I had never seen her so angry before. Sam simply laughed. I dropped a hundred dollar bill on the table and stood up.

"Leah, let's go." I gripped her arm.

"No!" She argued back. "We were here first."

"Just trust me." I told her, staring in her eyes.

"Yeah Leah, we can hang at your house." Rachel added, standing up. "Claire is waiting for us, remember? We promised we wouldn't stay out too late."

"Besides," Bella joined in. "This place is getting crowded." Leah appeared as though she was internally debating whether she should stay or leave. She took a few deep breaths before finally making her decision.

"Let's go."

"See you later Lee." Sam grinned, Leah shot him the bird along with a sharp glare.

"That fuckin' douche bag! I wish he would just leave me the hell alone." Leah led the way as we walked outside. She kept rantin' and raving until we passed a familiar truck in the driveway. It was a Ford, a 90's model, but in great condition. Leah stood in front of the truck, just staring at it. Then I remembered who the nice ride belonged too.

"Isn't this Sam's truck?" I asked, Leah simply nodded.

"Did you know I got it custom painted for his sorry ass on his 21st birthday?" I shook my head 'no'. "He wouldn't even let me drive the damn thing, but he lets that slut drive it." Suddenly I became angry. How could he do that to Leah when she loved him so much? I started digging in my purse and took out my keys. I started scanning the many different ones hanging on the chain until I found the one with the sharpest point and walked over to the side of Sam's driver's door.

"What are you doing Tasha?" Bella asked.

"Girl Code Lesson Number Twenty-Two: _A man's vehicle, is nothing more than a big ole penis with wheels_." Using the sharp point of my key, I dug it into the nice paint job of Sam's door and walked all around it. Bella covered her mouth in shock. Rachel started laughing hysterically.

"I'll be right back." Leah walked off.

"Where are you going?!" Bella whispered loudly.

Leah returned with a large piece of jagged concrete, it resembled that of a portion of parking curb.

"I'm not gonna let Tasha have all the fun!" Leah palmed the heavy rock like a baseball pitcher would a baseball, and threw it with all her might. We all watched in shock as the concrete landed in the middle of Sam's windshield, crashing it into a several pieces. His car alarm went off. We made a run for it! We all crammed in my Camaro and drove off like bats out of hell. I cranked on the radio:

_{I bust the windows out your car, and no, it didn't mend my broken heart. I'll probably always have these ugly scars, but right now, I don't care about that part._

_I bust the windows out your car, after I saw you laying next to her I didn't wanna, but I took my turn. I'm glad I did it 'cause you had to learn._

_I must admit it helped a little bit to think of how you'd feel when you saw it. I didn't know that I had that much strength, but I'm glad you see what happens when,_

_You see you can't just play with people's feelings; Tell them you love them and don't mean it, you'll probably say that it was juvenile, but I think that I deserve to smile._

_I bust the windows out your car, you know I did it 'cause I left my mark, wrote my initials with a crowbar, and then I drove off into the dark.}_

All four of us immediately started laughing as I cranked the music louder and we all joined in.

_{I bust the windows out your car, you should feel lucky that was all I did. After 5 whole years of this bullshit, gave you all of me and you played with it,_

_I must admit it helped a little bit to think of how you'd feel when you saw it I didn't know that I had that much strength, but I'm glad you see what happens when,_

_You see you can't just play with people's feelings; tell them you love them and don't mean it. You probably say that it was juvenile, but I think that I deserve to smile.} _

"Sam is gonna be pissed, Leah." Rachel managed to say between laughs, breaking from the song for a moment.

"I could care less!" Leah smirked from my passenger's seat. "It was worth it. Damn that felt good!"

_{Oh yeah, I did it, you should know it I ain't sorry, you deserved it after what you did to me, you deserved it, I ain't sorry no, no._

_You broke my heart, so I broke your car; You caused me pain, so I did the same, even though what you did to me was much worse, I had to do something to make you hurt.}_

"Wow, Tasha, nice pipes." Bella complimented me.

"Guess that explains the hummingbird tattoo on your right shoulder blade." Leah added.

And just like that, a memory came flooding back of _him_...

**_Flashback Begins:_**

**_Natasha Age 9; Nathaniel Age 15_**

_The length of hospital stays would vary for Nate, depending on the circumstances of the treatment he needed at the time. Certain _chemotherapy_ regimens may have only required hospitalization for one night, but for his particular type of cancer, Nate required up to a week or more of continuous chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the time spent in the hospital, he had to be subjected to daily labs, close monitoring, transfusions, fluids and antibiotics._

_Mom and dad hated leaving Nate alone, but an emergency meeting with some investors came up and they had no choice in the matter. Our nanny Julia was somewhere prancing around the hospital in search of a 'wealthy, handsome doctor to marry' while, I sat quietly in Nate's room reading out loud his favorite book, The Outsiders. The book follows two rival groups, the __Greasers__ and the Socs, who are divided by their _socioeconomic status_. I guess Nate felt like an outsider in his own way, because no matter how wealthy our parents were, he still felt isolated. We both did. Neither one of us went to public school, we both had personal tutors for different reasons. My parents feared that my being around other kids could expose me to germs and I wouldn't be able to help Nathaniel whenever he relapsed. Nathaniel never attended public school because he could never stay in remission long enough. I spent most nights reading to him:_

_"I used to talk about killing myself all the time, man. But I don't wanna die now. It ain't long enough. Sixteen years ain't gonna be long enough. Hell, I wouldn't care so much if there hadn't been so many things I haven't done yet. So many damn things I ain't seen or done. That time when we were in Windrixville was the only time I'd ever been away from my neighborhood..." Nathaniel's teeth chattered together, even with the three layers of blankets covering him, his chills wouldn't cease. _

_"Do you want me to call the nurse?" I asked, seeing him shiver._

_"No," Nate quavered, "Wouldn't...do...much...use." He managed to say. I got out of the chair I was sitting in and walked over to his bedside. I hated when the safe guard plastic film covered his whole entire bed, it was a precaution used to protect his weak immune system from being exposed to germs, but it also prohibited me from holding his hand or consoling him in any manner. "Will you sing to me sissy?" Just like my parents, I could never tell him no. The perfect song came to mind:_

_"You can count on me through thick and thin, a friendship that will never end, when you are weak, I will be strong, helping you to carry on, call on me I will be there, don't be afraid, please believe me when I say...count on...you can count on me..." His trembling started to slow. "Are you alright Nate?"_

_"How can I not be?" He whispered, sounding sleepy finally. "I have my own little personal hummingbird. Love you sissy."_

_"I love you too, Nate." _

**_Flashback Ends:_**

**Leah's POV**

"Wow, Tasha, nice pipes." Bella complimented.

"Guess that explains the hummingbird tattoo on your right shoulder blade." I was impressed too; the more I got to know Natasha, the more I liked her. I could care less if I'd be doing double patrols for a month, all because breaking Sam's windshield had me giddy with delight, but my elated mood disappeared the moment I saw the expressionless look on Natasha's face. "Natasha?" She didn't respond, her smile was gone, her eyes were vacant, like her soul had all but disappeared. The car came to a rolling stop.

"What's wrong?" Bella's tone was full with worry.

"Why are we pulling over?" Rachel demanded.

"I have no idea." I watched Natasha grip her necklace and look straight ahead. I waved my hand in front of Natasha's face...nothing. "It's like nobody's home." I whispered. "Natasha!" I yelled her name louder and finally got a reaction when she jumped. I could hear her heart rate accelerate.

She slowly turned her to look at me, before coming undone. She unhooked her seatbelt then swung her driver door open; she dropped her head between her legs. "Can't...breathe!" She started gasping for air.

"Oh shit, she's having a panic attack!" I got out of the car and ran around to Natasha's side, kneeling down in front of her. "Calm down Tasha, it's alright."

"Purse!" Natasha managed to say.

Bella must have heard her, because she reached over to the front seat and grabbed Tasha's bag, she pulled out a pill bottle and handed it to Tasha, I was still able to read what she was taking. Lorazepam. She swallowed the pill whole and dry.

I volunteered to drive.

"Don't tell Embry." She mumbled before falling asleep.

If only things were that simple, I sighed; Embry would surely see everything through the pack mind the next time we had patrol. There was no hiding it from him, and he'd be equally pissed finding out that way. I knew I was going to have to call Embry when I got home and tell him what happened. Natasha was hiding something, but what?

**A/N: Thanks for reading, don't forget to review and add to your alerts/favorites.**


	5. Chapter 4: Not Bat-Shit Crazy

**Co-Written by IAmPhoenix **

**Beta'd by the awesome Callie8M and the amazing Sparkling-Iris, you two make my work ten times better!**

**A special thanks to **Sam Whichesters love child** for reviewing.**

**Many thanks to following readers who added me to their favorites and alerts: **

Mrs JaceLightwood 14**; **Green-NaNa-Neko89; kh73; Sam Winchesters love child; **and last but definitely not least **jenx95

**Chapter 4: Not Bat Shit Crazy**

_Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy. ~ Nora Ephron_

**Natasha's POV**

When I opened my eyes, I found myself tucked gently into the ridiculously soft queen sized bed in Leah's guest room. Embry was sprawled out in the armchair across from me, his head cocked slightly to the side, mouth slightly open. I could hear him snoring. Ugh, he was the one person I'd told them _not _to tell.

Guess I should've known better than to trust anybody in this group with a secret. That made me wonder if private moments between Embry and I would actually be private, well once we got to that point. I shuddered at the thought of Jake, Quil, Jared, Seth and Paul knowing every intimate detail of our time together. And let's not forget Brady and Collin. Just the thought of those two knowing about what's under my clothes made me want to go scrub every inch of my skin with boiling water and bleach. They were pretty sweet at times, but damn I'd never met two bigger pervs.

I thought back to the last thing I could remember. _Him_. Panic attack. Lorazepam. Darkness. I groaned. Now they'd all think I was some kind of spacey pill popping lunatic.

I looked over at the clock on the nightstand, it was a little after 3 a.m. I couldn't believe I had been out for that long. Through the closed door, I could hear muffled laughter and murmurs of chatter. At least everybody was still awake and I hadn't completely missed girls' night. I slowly slid off of the bed then made my way out the door, closing it softly behind me, careful not to wake Embry up. I wasn't ready to face him yet. He'd have questions that I'd probably never be ready to answer.

"Sleeping Beauty has returned to the land of the living." Leah announced as I entered the living room.

I laughed as I took a seat next to Claire on the floor. I grabbed a handful of the popcorn that they were eating, and tossed them in my mouth. Everybody was looking at me like I had grown an extra head or something. "What?"

"You scared us." Bella finally spoke up, her voice quivering. This girl was too damn emotional for her own good.

"Yeah," Rachel chimed in. "Are you ok?"

I shrugged. "Guess I got a little too excited about keying Sam's car. It's nothing. I'm really fine."

"Are you sure?" Leah asked. Her motherly ways could be irritating sometimes.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." I grabbed another handful of popcorn. "So what's on the agenda for tonight?"

"We were just arguing over what movie to watch next." Claire said, sliding a huge stack of DVDs towards me.

I thumbed through the stacks with disinterest. Either I had seen them all a million and one times, had no desire to see them or they were released before I was born which really made me not want to see them. Just when I was about to give up and let the others finish arguing, the last movie on the stack caught my eye. It was one of my favorites. _50 First Dates_. Even though I'd seen the movie at least a hundred times and probably knew most of the lines by heart, I never got sick of seeing it. I loved the way Adam Sandler's character made Drew Barrymore's character fall in love with him day after day with a bunch of outrageous shenanigans. This movie was a true testament of how true love conquers all. It was probably the sweetest love story ever written. I grabbed the DVD from the pile and handed it to Leah.

"Not this, anything but this." Leah muttered as she took the movie from my hand and slid it under the sofa.

I laughed. "It's either that or _Lion King_. I've got the DVD in my car." I knew Leah would never watch Lion King or anything else made by Disney. One night when Leah and I were sharing secrets I'd confessed that I had an obsession with Disney cartoons. None of that new crap they were putting on their cable channel and peddling as entertainment, but the classics like Lady and The Tramp, _Snow White_ and one of my favorites, _Beauty and The Beast_. And while I gushed over how much I loved _Lion King_ and _Aladdin_, Leah had expressed her hatred for Disney after they so rudely killed Bambi's mother and 'ruined her childhood' as she put it. Leah swore she was never the same after seeing _Bambi_ and hadn't seen a Disney movie since.

"_50 First Dates_ it is." Leah conceded, while grabbing the DVD from its hiding place and tossing it to me. "The things I do for friends."

"Love you too Leah." I giggled as I crawled over to put the movie on.

It was probably half way through the movie when Embry woke up and came into the living room. He leaned against the wall and stared down at me. I could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head, but I didn't want to look at him. If I stared into his chocolate brown eyes, I'd surely crack under his gaze and I wasn't up for another breakdown. Not today or any other day. I snuggled closer to Claire and kept my eyes focused on the movie like it was the first time I'd ever seen it. He cleared his throat.

"It's girls' night, Embry. Go away." Leah snapped, not even bothering to take her eyes off of the TV.

But he remained there. Watching. Waiting. Irking my damn nerves. I couldn't really get into the movie knowing that he was standing there. I rose from my position on the floor and stormed past him, back into Leah's guest bedroom, knowing he was following me. I spun around to face him.

"What?" I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest.

"What happened earlier?" He asked, folding his arms to match my defensive stance.

"Nothing I want to talk about right now." I replied, getting back into the bed. My night was officially ruined. I childishly pulled the thick down blanket over my head and buried my face in the soft goose feather pillows.

Embry let out a heavy sigh and pulled the covers off of me, much to my irritation. "So when do we get to talk about anything? You're always shutting me out, Tasha and I'm getting sick of it. You won't explain your life before me, you don't want to talk about your screwed up parents and I can accept that. But what I can't accept is not knowing what's hurting you. Not knowing if you'll be ok in the car by yourself. Not knowing what to do if you have another one of those episodes you had earlier. I can't fix it if I don't even know what's wrong. Something's gotta give."

I lifted my face from the pillow and stared at him, tears stinging at my eyes. "I. Don't. Want. To. Talk. About. This. Not now and not ever. You can't fix the broken parts of me, Embry. Trust me. I can't even fix them. But what I can do is bury them deep down inside, lock them away in a place where it doesn't hurt. And what you can do is stop trying to dredge up the past. It only makes me bitter, not better." I could feel the tears as they rolled down my cheek. The more I tried to stop them, the more they fell. I pushed my face back into the pillow and let the salty drops flood the satin pillowcase.

Embry climbed into the bed next to me and pulled me into his arms. He rubbed my back in a calming circular motion while kissing the top of my head.

"It's ok." He whispered. "I'm here and I'll never leave you. Whatever it is, we'll get through it together."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that he'd always be there. But my heart wouldn't let me. The only other person I'd ever truly loved was gone and in their absence was a deep dark hole of nothingness. In my mind I knew that not all things would end this way. I knew that love could be beautiful and everlasting. And I knew that with time and patience, love could heal all wounds. Even mine. But I was afraid. Afraid of losing my new found solace; because for me, Embry was a strong beacon of light that had somehow managed to break through the darkened walls of my soul. When I was with him, it didn't hurt as badly. I didn't feel alone or scared. I didn't have to play some tough girl role. I could show my feelings-be as scared and as fragile as I wanted or needed to be. I could just be me.

"Do you mean that?" I managed to choke out between sobs. "That you'll always be here."

His arms tightened around me, pulling me deeper into his chest. "I mean everything I say to you. Every single word. I love you, Tasha."

I wiggled out of his arms and sat up in the bed staring at him. "You love me?" It had been years since anyone had said those words to me and hearing them again helped to alleviate the pain.

"I've loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you." He raised his hand to my face and gently wiped away the tears. I should have felt afraid or even shocked by Embry's professing of his feeling towards me so early on in our relationship, but I wasn't. Him loving me felt right, and just as I realized his feelings for me were genuine, I realized something else about my own.

"I love you too." And I meant it. "I really do, and that's what scares me." I sighed heavily. "Before I met you Embry, I felt empty and alone. And I was okay with that. I didn't want to feel any other way. I didn't think I deserved to be happy. My loneliness and anger became my solace. The things that I've gone through have sucked my soul from my body and left behind a damaged shell. I didn't want to impose that on anybody. I use my sass, strength and attitude to keep people at bay because I don't want anyone else to shoulder this. It's always been my burden to bear. So angry. " Embry stared at me like he didn't understand what I was saying, but I continued. "There was a time when I was happy-well, as happy as I could be considering my circumstances. You've awakened that part of me that I was so sure had died many years ago. You broke down the walls I fought so hard to build…And I've never been more grateful." He listened intently.

"For the past eight years, I've been doing well for the most part, even better now. I just occasionally have _setbacks_." I shook my head. "I bet you guys think I'm some bat-shit crazy pill popping nut case." I laughed a little, a sad smile spread across his face.

"I don't think you're _bat-shit crazy_, I just think you had an anxiety attack and took some Lorazepam to calm yourself down. But 4mg is an extremely high dose Tasha."

I was shocked by his response. How the hell did he know that?

"Both Leah and I have mom's as nurse's." Well duh Tasha! I mentally smacked myself. "Not to mention the world wide web can tell you anything." I nodded slowly in understanding and ran my fingers through my hair. "Are you ready to talk about it?"

"Not everything." I replied.

"Fair enough." He spoke softly. "Were you abused by your parents? Did they _hurt _you...?"

"No." I quickly responded. "Not the way you think. They never laid a finger on me."

"Just because they never touched you doesn't mean they didn't hurt you, trust me I know." The words came out a lot more hostile than I expected.

"How would you know, Embry? Your mom is amazing, I would give anything to have a mom like that. She's not only loving and doting, but also fun and hip."

"Have you not noticed there's a very absent male lead in my life?" He stared at me.

"I just automatically assumed that your dad passed away. I couldn't imagine any other explanation behind why someone would leave your mother." Embry was shaking his head.

"When my mom was sixteen she got involved with a married man." My mouth fell open. My ears were ringing. Did I hear him right? "She didn't know." I relaxed a bit. "See, my mom is Makah, she didn't grow up in La Push. My _sperm donor...sire _is Quileute." He trembled slightly. It was something I started noticing he and the rest of the guys along with Leah did when they grew upset. "When my mom told him she was pregnant, he stopped calling, stopped coming by, he dissed her." He heaved. "Once her parents found out, they were furious and threw her out. She had no place to go; she was homeless, hungry, and pregnant. She was so angry, she decided to confront my dad. She had only been to La Push a few times, but had no idea where he even fucking lived." What an asshole! "Old Quil found her crying on First Beach, being an elder and had never met my mom before he started asking questions, when my mother told Old Quil who my dad was, he gave her a place to stay for the night.

"The next day Old Quil told her _daddy dearest _skipped town, he didn't just leave her, he left his wife and infant son." What a fucking coward! "My dad came from a distinguished bloodline, the Elders felt compelled to help my mother since I carried that _same bloodline. _It's all about bloodlines." He said acidly.

"Do you know your brother?" Brother...Nathaniel. I shut my eyes briefly before opening them again. I can do this! I can be there for Embry, he needs me. I felt him hold me a little tighter.

"Yes...I see and talk to him every day, but we're not that close. His girlfriend's a real bitch, she doesn't like anyone getting too close to him, even his own blood, not to mention, his girlfriend betrayed one of my best friends. Her own cousin." Betrayal...Leah and Emily.

"Sam?!" I exclaimed, eyes widening.

"Leah told you?" He was taken aback. I nodded quickly.

"Oh shit!" I covered my mouth.

"What?"

I removed my hand from my lips. "After Leah told me what happened between her and Sam, I keyed his truck." I confessed.

"I know." He chuckled.

"You're not mad?" I asked him.

"Only because I missed you in _live _action." He sniggered. "And the boulder to the windshield...perfect touch on Leah's part." I grinned. "Are you alright?"

I nodded and he continued. "Okay, I'll let you ladies get back to your girls' night in." He kissed my forehead and then climbed out of bed. He wasn't staying? What about my parents? I started to open my mouth to object. "It's alright Tasha." He stroked my cheek. You'll tell me when you're ready and I'll be here to listen with an open mind and an open heart. I'm in this for the long run, Tasha. I'll see you tomorrow evening, bonfire?" I blinked, having totally forgotten. He gave me one more kiss on the cheek before walking out.

"'Kay." Once Embry left, I joined the girls in the living room. I grabbed my popcorn and started eating it again. "I'm not bi-polar."

"Are you sure about that?" Claire laughed, stealing some popcorn.

"Not really." I shrugged. We all laughed.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Review, favorite, and follow. Don't forget to vote on my poll if you haven't yet.**


	6. Chapter 5: Love After Death

**Co-Written by IAmPhoenix **

**Beta'd by the awesome Callie8M and the amazing Sparkling-Iris, you two make my work ten times better!**

**A special thanks to **brankel1 **for reviewing.**

**Many thanks to following readers who added me to their favorites and alerts: **KrisieEve

**Chapter 5: Love After Death**

_Love and Death are two uninvited guests, when they will come, nobody knows but both do the same work, one takes heart and the other takes its beats. ~ Nishan Panwar_

**Embry's POV**

**The Bonfire**

Whenever a member of the pack imprinted, we had a bonfire. Billy would tell the legends of the cold ones, Taka Aki, the spirit warriors, the Cullen's, the redhead and imprinting in great detail. Natasha seemed pretty enamored with them, and there was something else I noticed...children loved her! Everywhere Natasha went, children seemed to flock around. She didn't mind, she loved them just as much. I watched in the distance from the coiling tongues of fire, marveling at Brady's little twin sisters Mia and Mya, dance around her. Suddenly I started imagining what life would be like when we had babies of our own. "She loves me." I exhaled, half dazed.

"We know!" Jacob, Bella, Quil, Claire, and Leah all spoke at once, waking me from my reverie.

"It's all you keep showing us in this continuous loop." Quil groaned.

"I prefer Leah's mind right now." Jacob added. "Shit, never thought I'd say that." Leah playfully punched Jacob in the shoulder. "Can't believe Sam gave you three weeks' worth of double patrols." He shook his head. "He had it coming. I think it's time I took over being Alpha, he's getting too comfortable."

"He won't give it up easily. Emily won't let him." I said, still watching Natasha play with Mia and Mya.

"I know, she thinks she's in charge just because Sam is, claiming Alpha will knock them both down their high horse." Jacob replied. "It's time." He added.

"Speaking of the time being now." Claire interjected. "Don't you think it's _time _to tell Tasha everything? She's heard the legends and about imprinting."

"I don't know," I heaved. "It's just...she's so guarded, I need to know what happened to her first, before I tell her my secrets."

"I believe I know what is wrong with your mate, young Embry." Old Quil rasped joining us.

Old Quil, our Senior Elder, was not just a wise man. He was a spirit walker; a shaman with a powerful connection to our ancestral heritage. He was capable of channeling our ancestors' spirits through his body. With that ability he was astute to other restless spirits.

"What do you see?" Jacob asked, unfolding his arms.

"The reason behind why children are so drawn to Natasha…It is because they see or feel what adults can't anymore." He explained. "I'm not sure if they can see _him, _but they can definitely feel his presence. Such love and admiration is radiating from his spirit towards your mate."

"_Him_?" I repeated. "There's a restless spirit _haunting _her?" Old Quil nodded slowly.

"He has been with her for many moons, and I just got his attention." He answered.

"Who is he?" I demanded. I felt slightly panic stricken. Is this what Natasha has been hiding? Who was _he _to her? And why hadn't _he _entered the spirit world? Was _he _dangerous?

Old Quil held up his hand as if he were having a private conversation with himself. I assumed he was gathering information via his spirit connection.

"He is not malevolent." He stated after a moment. I relaxed a bit. "He cares for her deeply." In what way? "He would like to speak with her."

"Hell no!" I roared, incredulous. There is no way she's ready for something like this.

"Hey dude!" Quil punched me, and not softly either.

"That shit hurt for real man!" I rubbed my shoulder.

"Watch how you talk to my great grandfather!" Quil snarled.

"Sorry Old Quil." I apologized.

"It is fine young Embry, bring Natasha to my house tonight after the bonfire. I believe you will get the answers you seek tonight." Old Quil rose slowly, Quil assisted him. "I will go and get things set up."

This couldn't be possibly happening. There was so much I didn't know about Natasha, and now _this?_

"How the hell do I convince Natasha to sit down with Old Quil and talk to a...a _ghost_?" I buried my face in my hands.

"_Restless spirit_." Quil corrected me. "This person has unfinished business with Tasha, this might be what she needs to help open her up, if not, like my great grandfather said, it'll help us understand her better."

"Since when did you become so wise?" I chuckled, looking at my pack brother.

"What can I say, it's in my genes. Some of my great gramps guru had to have rubbed off on me." He smirked.

"Sure, sure." I stood up and dusted off the sand. "Wish me luck guys." I headed towards Natasha, just in time to hear Mya begging Tasha to swing her again. "You ladies having fun?" I smiled at the three of them.

"Tons!" Mia squealed, slightly out of breath.

"Tasha's so much fun." Mya added.

"They're the fun ones." Tasha laughed. "Care to join us?"

"Actually I was wondering if I could steal you for a moment."  
"No!" Mia objected immediately.

"Just a few more minutes Em?" Mya pleaded with her puppy brown eyes.

"Who wants a piggie back ride?" I heard Jacob yell from behind me.

"Me!" They both squealed rushing towards Jacob. "Bye Tasha!" They yelled as they ran into Jacob's arms. I mouthed 'thank you' to him. He gave me a quick nod as Mya climbed on his back. Quil placed Mia on his. I turned back to Tasha.

"You're really good with them." I complimented her.

She shrugged. "Children are easy to please, it's adults who have issues." We started walking along the shore line. Once again I had no words. I couldn't figure out how to go about this. How do I tell Natasha that a restless spirit was with her? "There you go again with the silence." She murmured to herself, but I heard her all the same.

"I'm sorry." I muttered. "I don't know how,"  
"Embry, just come out and say it." She stopped walking and faced me.

"I need you to come with me to Old Quil's house, he's a spirit walker. He wants to talk to you."

"A spirit what?" She started laughing.

"A spirit walker, they're like mediums." I couldn't believe what I was saying. "But stronger."

Natasha stopped laughing. "You're serious?" I nodded. "I don't believe in that shit!" She stormed past me. "When you die, you're gone, there's nothing keeping you here!" I ran to catch up with her. She already had her keys in her hand.

"Tasha, I know this sounds crazy, but there are some things out there in the world that defy all logic," She opened her car door, but dropped her keys by accident.  
"Shit!" She cursed, she reached down to pick them up. I blocked her from getting in her car. "Move out of my damn way!" She demanded.

"Tasha please!" I begged. "If you sit down with Old Quil, I'll tell you everything, I'll answer all of your questions about us, Claire & Quil, whatever you want to know..." Her tense expression softened. She pivoted her weight from one foot to the other.

"You'll tell me everything?"

"Yes." I promised. "But you have to sit down with Old Quil first." She took a deep breath.

"Fine, but I'm only giving him one minute." She held up her index finger. "If I don't like what he has to say or I don't believe, I'm outta there, and you still have to answer all of my questions."

"Okay." I agreed. She handed me her keys.

"Let's go."

**Natasha's POV**

It is official. I've lost my mind! I must really love this man because I was about to sit down with some senile old man who thinks he's a psychic, just because Embry asked me too. "I swear if he has a crystal ball, I'm getting up and walking the fuck out." I spoke sharply to Embry as I got of my car.

"It's not like that." He replied. "I promise."

"Whatever." I mumbled to myself as Embry guided me towards Old Quil's small cottage, he opened the door before Embry could even knock.

"We thank you for coming Natasha, I know it took some convincing on Embry's part." He rasped, letting us in.

"You got that right." I retorted as we followed him into the living room. As soon as I noticed the materials on the coffee table I stopped dead in my tracks. "Oh my god!" Godiva chocolate-my favorite, and a paperback version of the _Outsiders_. I covered my hand over my mouth. My knees grew weak, I felt Embry steady me.

"It's okay." He whispered in my ear.

"Please." Old Quil he motioned for me to sit. "He loved that book. It's fortunate my great grandson does too. We do not have a 24 hour bookstore around these parts."

In less than a second, I was sitting on Old Quil's sofa, but had no memory of how I got there. I felt Embry's warm hand holding mine.

"He wants you to know, he never left you. He was always there." His words should have brought me comfort, but instead it only fueled my anger.

"Never left me?!" I yelled. "But you did!" I screamed lividly in the air, too enraged to think clearly. "You could've been alive today, had you not been so damn stubborn! I would've given you anything you wanted! I would've done whatever it took. You are so damn lucky, I can't see or touch your ass right now. 'Cause if I could, I'd kick it!" I buried my face in my hands. "What the hell am I doing?" I groaned out loud. "I'm arguing with a ghost."

"Natasha, if you had given up that organ, he still would have perished eventually. Your brother was never meant to grow old. You were." As the words escaped Old Quil's mouth, I felt a sudden rush of love flood through me. "Some of us are given a shorter time to live, granted it is unfair, but our lives are planned the moment we enter this world."

"Why is he still _here?_It's been eight years. Why hasn't he gone into _the light _or _crossed over _or whatever they call it?" I asked Old Quil.

"Because you were so lonely. He couldn't leave you, but _now _that you have found your soul mate and a family that truly loves you for you, he can depart from this life and enter the spirit world." Old Quil answered me. "He only asks you do one thing for him."

"And what's that?" I murmured.

"Be happy, live life, and love abundantly." Old Quil replied.

"Goodbye Nate." I whispered, and shockingly I heard his voice in my ear, as if he were sitting right next to me.

_"Goodbye my hummingbird." _I felt his lips braze across my cheek. I reached up and touched my face. A cool breeze rushed passed me, and I knew at that moment, he was gone.

I broke down, but this time, not out of fear or loneliness. But happiness. He was at peace, and he wanted that for me too. I would miss him always, but I knew he had gone to a better place, and he wanted me in a better place as well. I felt Embry's arms pull me onto his lap. He stroked my hair and calmly whispered words of love and understanding. I finally felt ready to tell him everything there was to know about me.

"My parents never wanted me even when they planned my conception." I began. "I was only conceived to save _him. _Nathaniel, my brother. He was my whole entire world." I managed to say. "When Nate was six years old he was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia." I took a deep breath. "It's a rare subtype of blood cancer. Nate required an allogeneic bone marrow transplant in order to survive, they hit a wall with finding the perfect match, so my parents decided having a child who was a guaranteed match for Nate. That child was me."

"Natasha...I...don't know what to say." Embry held me tighter.

"You don't have to say anything, just listen. From the day forward, my sole purpose was to keep Nathan alive, through my cord blood as an infant, white cell transfusion, bone marrow, lymphocytes, and injections into my body, to add more stem cells for Nate."

"How could your parents put you through that Natasha?" Embry demanded.

"They were desperate, they couldn't let Nate die, not if they had a chance to help him. But I lived my life so sheltered, exposure to other kids could make me ill, and since Nate relapsed so much, they couldn't risk anything happening to me. I was home schooled. I couldn't make friends, or go to the beach,"

"Plant your feet in the sand." Embry mused. I nodded slowly against his chest.

"But with all the pain and operations I had to endure, I'd do it over again. Nathan loved me, truly loved, not because I kept him alive, but because I was his sister and his friend. My parents tolerated me, they never wanted more than one child. Nathaniel was all they ever wanted. A little after Nathaniel's eighteenth birthday he went into kidney failure and I was ready to provide a kidney for him. But he downright refused. He said he was tired and he didn't want to fight anymore. I guess deep down inside, he knew it would only be a matter of time before something else on his body started to betray him. He wouldn't even let me see him during his last days. Told my parents he didn't want me to remember him that way. You can imagine my parent's shock when they discovered that he wrote up a will, asked to be cremated, left me his Camaro, and the inheritance he received from our grandparents. I had to wait until I was eighteen before I could touch anything." I pulled away from Embry. "After Nathan died, my parents pretty much pawned me off on a nanny and used their money to keep me happy. They bought me everything money could buy, and when that didn't work, they had me in a psychiatrist's office twice a week. All I wanted was them, but they were too busy for me. I did everything I could to make them love me. After I finally got the chance to go to public school, I got straight A's, stayed on my best behavior, I was even valedictorian of my high school class." I laughed bitterly. "They were late to my graduation...missed my speech. I even got a full paid scholarship to Howard University." I smirked, shaking my head.

"Wait a minute, Howard?" Embry repeated. "What are you doing here in Forks?"  
"I spent two semesters at Howard, but I just felt so lost, my parents never bothered visiting me even though they kept filling my checking account. One night I packed a bag, got in my Camaro and just started driving, and now here I am. Now you know everything." I took a deep breath. "I told you my secrets, now what's yours?"

A/N: I know some of you have been looking forward to seeing sassy, tough Natasha from Noble Intentions, not the soft vulnerable Natasha, but she's one in the same, she needed closure first...tough sassy Natasha is on her way. Review, follow, and add to your alerts! Thanks once again for remaining loyal to Noble Intentions.


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